Aggressive, spirited play in the first half led the Andover Girls Lacrosse team to a 12-10 victory over Duxbury High School in last Saturday’s scrimmage. Although no statistics were kept during the scrimmage as evidence of the numerous successful plays, Andover’s entire lineup put forth a solid effort during the game. After a beneficial spring break trip to Florida, the Andover team looked forward to hosting its first scrimmage of the season. On a windy Saturday afternoon, Andover welcomed MIAA powerhouse Duxbury High School on Siberia for a scrimmage. Duxbury, one of the top high school teams on the South Shore, provided a challenging early season test for Andover. Andover came out strong from the opening whistle and took control of the early play. The aggressive ground-ball pursuit and in-your-face defense seemed to fluster Duxbury, as Andover came out on top in most of the one-on-one battles. By winning the majority of the draws, Andover controlled the ball possession during the first half. In addition, the team took smart shots, always willing to make the extra pass in order to set up a better look at the net. As a result of the great team passing, Andover went into the halftime break with both confidence and a substantial lead over Duxbury. As the second half began, it became clear that Duxbury was a stronger team than it demonstrated in the first part of the game. Whether Andover became complacent with its lead or Duxbury stepped up its effort, the visiting Dragons carried the second half. Duxbury gained momentum at the start, winning the first few draws of the half. While Duxbury tenaciously pursued the ball, Andover seemed to lose its aggressive enthusiasm. Without much opposition in the midfield, Duxbury passed the ball effectively and set up some point-blank shots on breakaways. Going into the last minutes of the half, Andover clung to an 11-10 lead. However, Andover put together a great passing series and added a 12th goal on the last play of the game—the buzzer sounded as the ball hit the back of the net. The scrimmage game against Duxbury was filled with drastic highs and lows, as expected in one of the first competitions of the season. The great passing and ball control of the first half proved that Andover possesses a very balanced and unselfish team. The versatility and depth—many girls play both offense and defensive positions—on the Andover roster should prove to be valuable in a long season with many tough opponents. On the other hand, the second half provided a message to the Andover team. When Duxbury staged a great comeback, Andover learned that no lead was safe. According to Head Coach Kate Dolan, “The scrimmage showed that we need to play two halves: 50 minutes.” In the tough NEPSAC league, it is crucial that Andover never lets down during any part of a game. In addition, Andover jumped out to the early lead when it won the majority of the draws, while Duxbury’s run occurred when it took most of the draws. From this, the team learned that when Andover controls the draws, it will also control the pace and flow of the game. In total, the scrimmage win gave Andover confidence in their team depth and passing while providing several key lessons. This Saturday, Andover looks for a win against Nobles at home.
